The following papers were read, viz.—
1. "Magnetic-term Observations of the Declination, Inclination, and total Intensity, made at the Magnetic Observatory at Prague." By G. Kreil, Director of the Prague Observatory. Communicated by S. Hunter Christie, Esq., Sec. R.S.
2. "On the Chemical Analysis of the contents of the Thoracic Duct in the Human Subject." By George Owen Rees, M.D., Physician to the Northern Dispensary. Communicated by P. M. Roget, M.D., Sec. R.S.
The author, availing himself of a favourable opportunity which presented itself of examining the contents of the thoracic duct in a human subject, procured an hour and a quarter after death by hanging, to the amount of six fluid drachms, obtained by analysis the following result:—
| Water, per cent | 90·48 |
| Albumen, with traces of fibrinous matter | 7·08 |
| Aqueous extractive, or Zomodine | 2·56 |
| Alcoholic extractive, or Osmazome | 0·52 |
Alkaline chloride, carbonate and sulphate, with traces of phosphate, and oxide of iron |
0·44 |
| Fatty matters | 0·92 |
| 100· | |
The fatty matters possessed the same general characters as those of the blood, except that they did not contain phosphorus, as appeared from their yielding an alkaline, instead of an acid ash by incineration. The aqueous extractive differed from that of the blood by giving a ferruginous ash. The salts obtained by incineration from the alcoholic extractive yielded a larger proportion of alkaline carbonate than those of the blood. The author is confirmed, by the experiments he made on the present occasion, in his former views concerning the cause of the white colour of the chyle, which he ascribes to the presence of opake white salivary matter as one of its constituents. The author then gives the results of his microscopical examination of the globules of the chyle, which he finds differ totally from those of the blood. He points out as being remarkable the large quantity of fatty matter existing in the chyle, and constituting an hydrocarbonaceous ingredient, which is constantly being added to the mass of blood, and is very rapidly consumed; as appears from the small quantity of this matter discoverable in the blood itself. The proportional quantity of osmazome in the chyle he finds greatly to exceed that contained in the blood.
